Walking for the Salish Sea

Walking for the Salish Sea – Contributed photo

Liza Michaelson writes to say thanks and to recap her recent walk…

Thanks for your support! Glenn, John, Gretchen and I returned today from our epic Walk 4 The Salish Sea.

I want to thank all of you for your Generous support. Our San Juan Island team of 4 has raised well past our goal of $5,000 for the Pulling Together Campaign!

The Walk was 77 kilometers in 4 days from Victoria to the Kinder Morgan pipeline terminal in Burnaby outside Vancouver BC, including a ferry ride across Haro Strait and and a bus ride through a tunnel. It was hot and exhausting, uplifting and inspiring. My heart was opened and I was close to tears of deep joy inspired by humanity many, many times on the journey.

There were about 85 of us “through walkers” accompanied by a well trained volunteer staff of “walking marshalls”, a couple of bikes and cars with water and snacks, and a rally bus with an awesome mural painted on the ceiling carrying our overnight bags.

(more photos and a video below)

We were most fortunate to have Hereditary Chief Gordon August, as our leader. He wore his cedar hat, drummed, sang songs and gave thanks to every tribe whose land we crossed. Gordon has decades of experience as an activist. He modeled the “Good Way”; always honoring elders, the land, the water, and everyone who gave hospitality to us.

On the morning of Day 2, the chief invited all the “settlers” with drums to join the indigenous people with drums at the front on the march. He said, “All drummers will drum together. We are One”. We learned a word that means, “This can only be accomplished if we work together.”

Indeed I felt very strongly that we could not have done the same walk without their indigenous leadership, and they do not have the same power to influence without our white privilege.

On Day One through Victoria, and Day Four through Vancouver our numbers grew to the hundreds. On the long hot stretches we were lifted and carried by the powerful energy of chanting and drumming, and the momentum of the throng.

We camped out near the beach one night and were hosted by churches other nights.

At the Ladner United Church arriving two hours late after a 19 mile day, we were greeted warmly at the door by the minister who welcomed us and announced that dinner was ready, hot showers were available, 4 nurses were prepared to give foot and knee massages and treat any inflammation or blisters, and we were welcome to make the church our home, sleeping anywhere we liked. But before we could get to any of that goodness the chief instructed us all to come inside and sit on the pews. Then he and the drummers went to the front and drummed and sang the honor song. He made a long formal speech thanking the minister and the people of the church for their generosity. After dinner the chief made an announcement that two young boys from the church had unloaded all our luggage from the bus all by themselves. He brought them to the front of the room and asked the drummers to honor them. It was so grand to watch those little kids stand there with serious faces while 12 drums beat a song for them at full volume.

When two bald eagles flew overhead, the chief paused and all of us emulated him and raised our arms. He called out in thanks to the eagles for Blessing our path.

Marching with us was a member of parliament, Elizabeth May with her daughter and her little dog, a few young energetic idealists with nowhere else to be, nurses, teachers, artists, experienced activists, 6 people from Lopez Island, a reporter from KUOW, doctors, scientists, musicians, grandmothers, a seven year old boy named Sasha who walked the entire way holding his fathers hand, (on the last day I found out he was the one who begged his father to take him and he is already a recognized activist) a man from Hong Kong on crutches making a documentary, a young couple carrying a large banner painted on a bedsheet reading, “Water Is Life” on two heavy poles, silky blue streamers, wooden salmon on sticks, orcas, paper mache starfish, anemone, oyster catchers and giant squid, lots of great signs, and a young Italian film maker named Rogero who mostly videoed our marching feet. Seriously, many times each day it was all you could do not to trip on the guy laying prone in the middle of the road, highway, or woodsy path with his camera in front of his face. His message was that this undertaking, stopping Kinder Morgan and stopping our dependency on fossil fuels, is one of many steps by many people.

At one point on the Galloping Goose trail the chief halted the march to tell us he was not fit to be the leader because he was feeling anger and that was not the Good Way, so he asked for tobacco and from somewhere in the ranks a pouch of tobacco was brought forth. He sprinkled some at his feet and said ” All my Relations” then turned 90 degrees and sprinkled more tobacco on the ground and said again, “All my Relations” then repeated this gesture two more times and handed the leadership to Paul, the next oldest male. The Chief told us he needed to calm himself, humble himself, and be grounded with the mother before he could lead us again.

Along with Paul Waggoner we were led by Rose Tom and four younger tribal people; one of them, Naomi, who diligently waved her feather over the fragrant smoke; smudging us the whole way. No matter how far back you were in the march, every now and then you could catch a whiff of the sage burning in her abalone shell.

The city of Vancouver for the first time closed down all three lanes heading one direction on Hastings. Police blocked traffic as we crossed major intersections; and as we walked single file over a freeway bridge motorists honked and waved in enthusiastic support.

In Grandview Park, Vancouver the energy swelled and we were joined by 78 wooden Orcas, large puppets, a bunch of bull kelp made of silk, lots of citizens with signs, and more islanders that we knew who had driven up for the day.

A man from Pender island sculpted out of fiberglass a 30 ft black shiny pipeline with a big knot tied in the middle of it. It was mounted on a bicycle at each end and carried on an elaborate aluminum frame by 8 strong folks down the center.

It was a very hot day, and we walked for 5 hours in the sun on pavement but the energy was so high, the songs and drums so loud, nobody complained. A little girl carried a squirt gun and sprayed anyone who wanted it in their face. Gretchen and I walked most of the way wearing Monarch wings which we waved to create a nice fan of air and a bit of sunblock..

We ended at the gates to Kinder Morgan in Burnaby, shockingly incongruous as it is set in a lovely residential neighborhood on a pristine inlet. The drumming at the gate was a powerful insistent rumble. With us was a huge inflatable Orca whale floating high in the air. Someone shouted into the megaphone “The Orcas do not like what you are doing, and it is going to Stop. We are here to say NO to you Kinder Morgan!”

There was a rally in the nearby park with music and more speakers including the irate mayor of Burnaby who said he is willing to be arrested. Before we left to go home on the bus we heard four of our group had chained themselves to the gate. 24 hours later, according to the website, they remain locked in protest.

Here is a link to a 2 min video of us walking through Vancouver:

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